The Mumday Times

Love This Look… Even if I do say so myself! Dress,...

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:22:31 +0100

Love This Look…

Even if I do say so myself!

Dress, £12.00-£14.00, Little Bird at Mothercare

Leggings, £5.60-£8.00 (on sale), Boden

Wellies, £15, Jojo Maman Bebe

Sunglasses, model’s own.

MAJOR GIRL CRUSH I’m a francophile, a fashion addict and I...

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:44:00 +0100

MAJOR GIRL CRUSH

I’m a francophile, a fashion addict and I love narrow boats. This video showcasing actress/ singer Josephine de la Baume’s H&M picks, ticks all the boxes and has made me want to divorce my hairbrush and make love to the railings in my local park.

Favourite JDLB quote: “Green is very good for the pace of your heart”

Boden Mini A/W Picks

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:58:00 +0100

When I write ‘Boden Press Day’ in my diary I always underline it at least twice and add several exclamation marks. And some stars. Forget a rail of clothes and a blink and you’ll miss it tray of canapés - when Boden throw a press day it is an extravaganza of the most brilliant set design, beautiful imagery and divine clothes. Oh, and lots of canapés. They must spend fortunes on these events but if the idea is to convey the joyful and creative spirit of the brand from first impression to very last stitch, it really is worth it. Here are my favourite pieces and favourite animals (real and knitted) from the day.

The wardrobe of joy…

Printed muslins = excellent baby gift

Johnnie Boden popped in with Scout. Aww!

Knitted creatures modelling Boden AW13 prints

I’ve put my name down for Boden School but I hear it is very oversubscribed

Essentials: socks, shoes, boots, vests and windmills

For the Babies:

Tiny pull-ons!

For The Minis:

These wall mounted knitted heads and monsters/monkeys by Louise Walker, which appear throughout the Mini Boden campaign shots caused quite a stir. Love the Badger!

Kate Moss: Face & Body of St Tropez

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:35:59 +0100

Kate Moss was announced as the face and body of St Tropez today so she promptly stripped off and did a downward dog on a diving board. You still got it mamma but you might want to shuffle along there - Tom Daley will be along any minute.

Those cheekbones! God I need a holiday…

Kate Moss speaking! And being rubbed! And sounding normal! I...

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:33:03 +0100

Kate Moss speaking! And being rubbed! And sounding normal! I like her. A lot.

I’ve written something for maternity clothing website...

Wed, 08 May 2013 07:42:07 +0100

I’ve written something for maternity clothing website Seraphine (wore their jeggings and leggings for the entire gestation period and beyond) about how to look and feel a bit like you’ve had some sleep when you really, REALLY haven’t.

READ HERE: http://www.seraphine.com

The first ever Mumday Times announcement and what a beautiful...

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:24:00 +0100

The first ever Mumday Times announcement and what a beautiful name! Congratulations to the Malenas! If you’d like to announce a new hatchling tweet me @themumdaytimes

Lunch with Myleene

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:23:40 +0100

Lunch at Nobu you say? WIth the classically trained pianist, former Hear’Say member (whoop! - yes I used to work at heat), midwifery expert and kids clothing designer Myleene Klass? Ooh yes please!

To celebrate Myleene’s 10th clothing collection for them, Mothercare hosted a lovely lunch at Nobu last week, showcasing her latest Baby K range and feeding journalists and bloggers non stop sushi and er Champagne. I got a bit over excited about the sunshine, the food and the fact that I wasn’t on the ski trip from hell (see previous post) and drank two whole glasses of bubbly. The result? OVERSHARING with Myleene about how to discuss death and sex with your kids and the power of Gangnam Style. Thank god I didn’t do a Gangnam dance - it did cross my mind.

Anyway, as a mother who likes to dress her children as though they’re attending a 1940’s re-enactment event I wasn’t sure I would really like any of Myleene’s thoroughly modern collection. I am afraid of leopard print on children and shimmer makes me nervous. Yes, I am a mean mummy. Having perused the rail I found several items that I really, really liked and I did think that maybe i should stop dressing my children like evacuees and get with the programme.

Here are my favourite bits from Myleene’s 10th collection.

Love the shoulder details on this dress. I’m thinking turquoise ribbon belt…

Cute bug motif for the boys

I carried a pineapple…

Love this kitsch cute tee-shirt. Perfect with denim cut-offs

Heart print jeans. Would like these in my size too please.

Perfect dress up dress down dress

Myleene’s 10th BabyK collection is available now www.mothercare.com

THE SKI SICK TRIP Yet again we were incredibly spoilt by the inlaws who treated us to a ski trip...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:49:00 +0100

THE ~~SKI~~ SICK TRIP

Yet again we were incredibly spoilt by the inlaws who treated us to a ski trip in Tignes. Not quite the Healthy Heidi Hits the Hills experience I was hoping for…

The Relentless Schedule of Sickness and Disaster

Day before ski-trip: Daughter Elder has extremely high temperature - puts herself to bed. Parents worried.

Morning of ski-trip: Daughter Elder seems recovered. Phew. Join in-laws in cab wherein it transpires that Mother in Law (MIL) is gravely sick and in danger of coughing up a lung approximately once every 3.5 minutes…

At station: Husband is physically removed from queue at WH Smith by Father in Law (FIL) and prevented from buying newspapers or magazines for journey lest we be late for boarding the Eurostar. We board the train 30 mins prior to departure.

During train journey: MIL assumes waxy sheen, glazed eyes and continues to cough vigorously approximately once every 2.5 minutes. We are joined by some Jolly blonde women (JBW) who have booked 2 of the six seats in our train section. MIL coughs relentlessly. JBW excuse themselves to Champagne drinking session at the bar. JBW return. FIL remarks loudly that Daughter elder may still be out of sorts due to the FEVER she had the night before. JBW exchange grimaces. MIL coughs. Daughter Younger becomes clingy and difficult. Daughter younger sits on mother’s knee and farts, following through with diarrhoea. Mother cannot look at JBW. Father rummages change of clothes from buried suitcase at other end of carriage. Mother changes crying child in miniscule toilet cubicle, cracking head on sink and trying to ignore the faint damp patch on her own knee. JBW head to Champagne bar again.

On arrival: Daughter Elder develops painful stomach cramps and doesn’t want to sit in very back of cab. Mother sits in very back of cab instead only to discover that her head touches the ceiling, she cannot move her legs in such a confined space and she can smell the poo juice on her knee. Mother feels extremely sick and breathes deeply with eyes closed for the half hour journey up the mountain to avoid overwhelming sense of claustrophobia and panic.

At apartment: MIL has a dizzy spell, shakes and lies down on sofa covered in blanket. It transpires that mother, father and children are sleeping in a room allocated with two bunk beds. Children take against top bunks and point blank refuse to climb the ladders. Mother and Father are forced to take the top bunks. At this point they don’t care where they sleep.

Day one: Skis Hired, Ski School booked for Daughter Younger - diarrhoea seems to have cleared, gentle skiing for all apart from MIL.

Night: Children wake several times in night. Times climbed down ladder: 3

Day two: Daughter Younger is taken to Ski school by Father. She cries. A lot. She pleads with mother not to make her go again. Husband thinks she’ll be fine tomorrow. Mother wracked with guilt.

NIght: Daughter Younger throws up in the night. Times climbed down ladder: 4

Day three: Sheets are scrubbed free of vomit and hung up to dry. Daughter younger now seems fine but cannot, of course, go to ski school.

NIght: Daughter younger has a nightmare, Daughter elder has terrible stomach cramps again. Times climbed down ladder: 6

Day Four: Father cannot face battle of sending daughter younger to ski school. A trouble free day of skiing. MIL attempts to ski which she says nearly kills her but she continues anyway. Daughter Elder goes swimming in the evening with father and grandfather.

NIght: Daughter Elder has sore ‘bits’ that cause her excruciating pain so that she cries relentlessly for an hour inspite of cold compresses, application of sudocrem and fanning of parts. Calpol is administered as a last resort. It seems to work eventually or was it simply sheer exhaustion? Times climbed down ladder: 8

Day FIve: Nice morning of skiing. Daughter elder then develops terrible earache that makes her cry. Mother returns to apartment with children for the afternoon. Calpol administered, earache gone. Eat dinner out at restaurant where MIL coughs and clutches FIL in terror as she feels herself blacking out. She stays with us.

NIght: More tummy ache and bad dreams. Both daughters are developing chesty coughs.Trips down the ladder: 5

Day Six: Mother feels glands up and head throbbing. Takes to bed and shivers and sweats for five hours. MIL skis again.

NIght: Girls cough. Trips down the ladder:2

Day 7: Family head home. Cab crashes into car in front. Train journey is bearable. MIL only coughs every five minutes and there is no diarrhoea.

Get Home: Everyone gets into parental bed and hugs each other joyfully.

Lovely things about the trip:

1) The Mountains were beautiful

2) There was loads of lovely snow

3) Watching Bea ski was amazing

4) Watching Tilly ski between dad’s legs was so sweet

5) We had a delicious fondue

6)I realised how much I LOVE my own bed

7)We read Gangsta Granny ( as downloaded on her iPad by our own very modern granny) by David Walliams on the way home and laughed and cried our socks off.

8)French people can spell my name.

9) The girls had Hello Kitty skis

10)No one died (apart from Margaret Thatcher)

I'm Thinking of Moving to Australia...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 19:36:00 +0100

Because then I wouldn’t have to pay a shipping fee for these amazing little shoes ($39.99) from chic Aussie lifestyle store Seed Heritage! I just stumbled on the website today and spent about half an hour browsing through all the different departments. There are some lovely pieces for grown ups and kids but it is the baby section that inflamed the old shopping glands not to mention twanged the ovaries.

Seed Heritage do great baby clothes too. Bye bye cotton tail!

Ooh, I like these!

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:36:00 +0100

I’m not normally one for modern touches around the home. I like Chintz, nicknacks and rickety stuff (can’t do minimal too messy) but I do like these cute, photographic duvet covers which coincidentally come from one of my all time favourite nicknack stockists coxandcox.co.uk. They’re a wee bit pricey at £60 a set but would really pull a room together (just call me Linda Barker - no don’t, the last 60 minute makeover she did was shocking). I am also thinking of buying some perforated, galvanised steel composters from my local hardware store for laundry and toy storage. Too far?

March Shopping Abstinence

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:50:00 +0100

I fell off. The no siree, I’m not shopping wagon went over a particularly nasty rut and I was catapulted deep into the mire of shopping sin. Ashamed is not the word. Seriously, I do feel surprisingly bad about this. However, I did sell some stuff on e-bay so I’ve decided not to wear the cilice anymore. I bought the Ganni shoes and the ASOS trousers that I was so proud of not buying last month. Love the shoes but the trousers are too baggy and make me look very huge of hip. Unfortunately my three year old blew her nose on my leg while I was trying them on so I can’t send them back. Serves me right. Here are the things I DIDN”T buy this month though. Wince, wince, simper.

1) NWS by Hobbs Jacket, £129, Totes adorbs, love it. But wait! Hang on, the actual jacket isn’t nearly as nice as the pic from the press day. Hate it when that happens. Soz.

2) Girl. by Band of Outsiders Top £245, Just discovered this label and would like to buy entire collection

3) Girl. by Band of Outsiders Trousers, £210 Would buy these over the top but look how pretty they are together.

4)Topshop chambray blazer £100 Perfect summer jacket.

5) Hobbs silver sandals £129 Look like shoes my mum used to wear and come in gorgeous mint green suede too.

So, now that I see the jacket from Hobbs isn’t quite as nice as I thought it would be I think in reality I would have just bought the Hobbs shoes and the Topshop jacket -the trousers would remain a dream. That’s a saving of £229 this month. God, I was mad! This is really good therapy seeing it all written down…

Birthday Bunnies and Peanut Butter Choc-Chip...

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:49:00 +0000

Birthday Bunnies and Peanut Butter Choc-Chip Cupcakes

It’s all go here! We’ve just celebrated Tilly’s 3rd birthday and we’ve got Bea’s 7th birthday this weekend coming. Thankfully Tilly changed her mind about the giraffe cake and went for a bunny instead. Quite pleased with my efforts! Best cooking experiment ever however has to be the peanut butter choc chip cup-cakes that I decided to make on a whim. Just substitute some of the butter in the recipe for peanut butter, add chopped roasted peanuts and choc chips to the mix and then add a dollop of peanut butter to the butter cream icing et voila! We did serve carrots and tomatoes too by the way…
PS the cakes around the bunny are not the peanut ones - they’re in the next pic

"Mummy, your boobs are melting like Granny’s but it’s OK you don’t need them anymore…"

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:45:38 +0000

“Mummy, your boobs are melting like Granny’s but it’s OK you don’t need them anymore…”

- and other mortifying little gems from my girls and friends…

“Mummy this is my baby her name is County. County! County! County! I love my baby County!” (NB the letter ‘O’ was absent from this particular version of County and remained so for around a week.)

“Mummy, I’m just sitting down to watch a dirty film.” (context: daughter sits down on doorstep to watch mummy who is covered in mud doing the gardening. Mother faints on impact of this comment)

“Mummy, I’ve been drawing your boobies in my busy book at school. It’s OK I’ve only showed them to Oliver and the teacher.” (I’ve posted this before but it still makes me die)

Mother: “Which birthday present is your favourite?”

Son: “The Batman one that will be here when I get home from school.”

“Hello Daddy! Hello Daddy! That’s my Daddy!” (shouted repeatedly at a tramp on a packed bus) Tramp says: “I don’t think so sweetheart.” And then quizzically to mother: “Am I?”

“Mummy, I need a poo and i think it’s a daddy poo!” (in queue for public loo)

“ I bet you can touch your nose with your tongue can’t you?” ( to man with very large nose in street)

” We knew the gift was from you because it smelt of your house. My mum said it smelt like it had been in your house for a very long time.” (Child’s response when asked if they liked their birthday present.)

Kate Greenaway Homage

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:05:53 +0000

Boden, Have got some absolutely gorgeous frocks for would be bridesmaids and party princesses this season. My favourite has to be this empire line, silk number that reminds me so much of the Kate Greenaway illustrations in A, Apple Pie. Still got my copy! Just imagine a troupe of bridesmaids in these, with satin ballet slippers oh, and bonnets too please.

Age 1.5 - 14yrs from £72 boden.co.uk

That's MY dress!

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:22:37 +0000

Well, this is getting annoying. The dress that I adore but will never in a zillion years be able to afford (around 2 fat ones) even if I wasn’t on a shopping hiatus is being snapped up by celebs in their droves. Well, three. I saw it FIRST!

Not sure if this is going to work but will give it a...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:05:00 +0000

Not sure if this is going to work but will give it a try…

Ladies and gentlemen I present to you ANOTHER WORLD featuring Andre Leon Talley and Tom Ford discussing nappies. ALT has a reality TV series on the cards - I think it should always feature Tom. Amazing.

ASOS S/S 2013 Maternity Preview Ooh! If I had my time again,...

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:39:00 +0000

ASOS S/S 2013 Maternity Preview

Ooh! If I had my time again, (Will I? Won’t I? It’s a constant conundrum) I would definitely invest in some canny bits from ASOS’ fantastic maternity wear collection. An array of on trend pieces, classics and occasion wear mean that there is no need to dress like a middle aged, stretch jersey version of yourself for 6 months. Some rather nice accessories were on display at ASOS HQ too…

(All pieces should be on-line by May)

Rainbow Shelves

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:56:29 +0000

This is a bit of a 2 pronged showy offy post to not at all humbly brag about my newly rainbow co-ordinated book shelves (it took me bloody ages) and my lovely Mother’s Day loot! The rainbow books are a bit style over substance but they are SO cheery and satisfying to look at. Thanks for the flowers and my lovely card girls xxx

PS Thanks for the lie in Daddy x

Mother's Day Dash

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 23:40:00 +0000

So, you’ve missed the chance to order her a miniature olive tree in a personalised zinc pot but you can still run to the shops and pick up something lovely that says I appreciate you and all that you do. Otherwise, a hand-made card and NON garage flowers are in order. Maltesers would be nice though…

Clockwise from top left. 1) Beauty Guru Terry de Gunzburg’s fragrance collection is super sophisticated and comes in the most gorgeous tactile packaging. One of these cannot fail to impress. From £68 at House of Fraser 2) Give her the latest manicure must-have, the Feather Finish from Nails Inc, £11, Selfridges 3) Connock London’s Body Oil is deliciously decadent and cocooning. £42.90 from Fortnums and Harrods 4) Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Pink Pot Rouge, £18 ALL proceeds from this essential multi-tasker go to the charity Dress for Success London 5) Neom Luxury Organics Feel Amazing Treats set is the perfect gift for a mother to be £52 6) Anya Hindmarch In-flight Travel Pouch, £150 A fantasy gift maybe, but oooh isn’t it lovely? 7) Zara scarf £19.99 Oriental meets cross stitch. Lovely.8) This Works Dream Team, £10 available from Heals. Contains a Pillow Spray and relaxing Stress Less potion. What mother wouldn’t appreciate the gift of sleep?